as in to frighten
to strike with fear
that foolish woman would be scarified by a mouse
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Recent Examples of scarify
Some will confine their mess to pixels, but surely others will scarify the walls and stain the floors.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2021
And some on the platform feel free enough to verbally poke a pop star or scarify Spotify.
—Bill Hochberg, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2021
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 23 Sep. 2021
And some on the platform feel free enough to verbally poke a pop star or scarify Spotify.
—Bill Hochberg, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarify
Verb
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His dribbling, direct running style and finishing frighten defenders and light up the biggest stages.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The piercing sunlight frightens her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ten points to Gryffindor for Bree shooting and subsequently scaring the bear away.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Mar. 2026
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Emphasizing the threat of being mistaken for an intruder should scare everyone into submission.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jim was a teenager at the time, terrified of his abusive old man and roped into assisting him, along with his brother John Jr.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
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Mice know cats can smell them, and cats emit chemicals that terrify mice.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors allege Joshua Alvarado, 30, passed out at the wheel of his pickup truck while driving to work and was startled awake by other drivers honking at him.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
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In the early hours of Sunday morning, as a bar in a busy nightlife district of Austin, Texas, prepared to close for the night, patrons and staff were startled by the sound of gunshots.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scarify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarify. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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